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Chapter Text

        Long minutes passed where I stood with the rest of the company as we watched the birds fly toward the Lonely Mountain. It was almost enough to make me forget that below, Smaug would be awakening for the first time in years. I had to suppress a shiver in the warm air from the thought. It helped that Kili tightened his grip around me. I smiled, placing my hand over his. I glanced at Thorin who was standing on my other side with Bilbo at his other side. Thorin and I exchanged a small smile.

        "We should move along," Thorin said.

        The rest of the company nodded their agreement as we began collecting the few things we still had. I smiled as I looked over at Kili. "Does the view compare to what you always imagined?" I asked him.

        "Not in the slightest," Kili said. I stared at him, confused. I had thought this would be one of the best moments of his life. A sly grin crept over his lips. "It's much better."

        It was impossible to stop the girlish giggle that escaped my lips, making me sound like a moron. I smiled up at Kili as he wrapped a protective arm around my waist. I glanced down the cliff as we started walking. "Man," I groaned, letting out a deep and low whistle. "That's a long climb down."

        "I'll carry you," Kili offered.

        "Don't offer that, I'll take you up on it," I shot back.

        "You've earned it after everything you've been through," Kili said.

        What had I been through that was so awful? Not much. My life had been reasonably pleasant so far. "Please, I haven't been through that much. I've had a lot of good in my life and not that much bad if we're being fair," I said honestly.

        "What about everything that I've put you through?" Kili asked.

        Other than a few weeks of awkward conversations and glances, Kili hadn't put me through that much. I smiled at him, wrapping an arm around his waist. "If we come out of this as I hope we do, it'll all be worth it," I said truthfully.

        Surprise read plainly on Kili's face. "Do you mean it?" he asked. I nodded. "You think it will be worth it?"

        I lowered my voice so that it was quiet enough that no one could hear us. We were in the middle of the group and would be very easy to hear if we weren't careful. "Kili, I haven't known you long, but I genuinely believe you're worth it," I admitted.

        "I'm not worth a fraction of what you are, Leah," Kili said.

        My cheeks burned at his bluntness. "Why is that?"

        Kili shook his head. "Not here."

        "Alright." It was another conversation to be saved for later. Hopefully, once we got to Beorn's home we would be able to sort out everything we needed to say to each other. We both knew a lot needed to be sorted out in our relationship. "Kneel a little bit," I told him.

        "What?" Kili asked.

        "You offered a ride; I'm taking a ride," I teased. Kili laughed, shoving me to the side playfully. I pouted at him. "Come on, I got bitten by a Warg trying to save your uncle!" I lowered my voice again and winked at Kili. "And after everything you've put me through, you owe me this."

        Not that he had put me through much, but I wanted my piggyback ride. Kili chuckled and kneeled so that I could jump onto his back. "Hop on," Kili offered.

        The other dwarves were staring at us like we'd lost our minds. I laughed under my breath at the surprise on their faces. They were rolling their eyes but I didn't care. This was the one time that I was going to enjoy my time with my semi-crush. They had all been so terrible about our relationship. After saving Kili's uncle, I had every right to flaunt it in their faces. I launched myself onto Kili's back and he caught me under my thighs as I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck.

        As I wrapped my arms around Kili's neck, I felt the strain in my arms from the White Wargs slash marks. I knew that doing this was stupid and tempting fate as we hadn't talked things out between ourselves yet, but this was a time to be happy. This was one of the few lighter moments we would have until the Battle of Five Armies when I would learn if I could save the life of two men I cared for and one I loved. I supposed that was an issue I could deal with later.

        Desperate to take my mind off of things, I smiled up at the rising sun and made a bold move, kissing the side of Kili's throat. I could feel the rumble in his throat from my actions. "Promise me something?" I whispered.

        "Anything," Kili replied.

        "When this is over, all of this, we can have a real conversation. In private with no one else in the same building, nevertheless a few meters away," I said.

        Kili chuckled. "I don't think I can wait that long."

        "Nor can I, but I don't think everything we need to say to each other can be accomplished in one night," I admitted.

        Kili and I had a lot to talk about. I couldn't even think of everything we had to say to each other. "No. You deserve more answers than that," Kili agreed.

        Though I knew we needed to talk things out, I had never been one for that kind of talk. I preferred to get around to the good stuff. I placed my mouth at Kili's ear and spoke low enough that only he could hear me. "Or, we could just skip all that and get right to the good stuff," I whispered.

        My arm slunk under Kili's ripped tunic to rest against his bare chest. "Onto the good stuff, indeed," Kili agreed, chuckling.

        "Knock it off!"

        The rest of the dwarves looked somewhere between furious and embarrassed with the way we were interacting. I smirked at their discomfort. They may have come around to the idea of Kili and me being together but they still weren't okay with me acting the way I would have in the old world. I was a little surprised that Kili was laughing with me. The dwarves likely heard most of our conversation, but I didn't care if they had. I meant every word I had said.

        For most of my life, I had a fondness for the men I dated but I had never felt this way. I cared for Kili far more than I had cared for anyone else in my life. I didn't care if the dwarves knew my true feelings for Kili. I didn't care if the dwarves knew that I wanted to be with Kili in that way - today more than ever. I cared for Kili and I had finally decided that I was going to make it known. I liked the dwarves, but they deserved to know what they were holding me back from.

         Kili and I looked at each other in the eyes, still giggling as I placed my head in Kili's shoulder. Once I had calmed down, I settled for keeping my head rested against his shoulder, my breath gently fanning against Kili's neck. I could see the goosebumps rising on his neck, but he said nothing. Kili merely smiled, placing his hands over mine. I could feel his spare hand running against my thighs, keeping me pressed against him. I could almost fall asleep from the peace I felt at this moment.

        "I'm carrying you," Kili said. I hummed curiously, keeping my eyes closed. "It's only fair if I get a song now, isn't it?"

        I giggled. "What do you want to hear?"

        Kili thought about it for a moment. "A ballad; it doesn't matter what it is about," Kili suggested. "You have a beautiful voice, I want to hear it in its full power."

        "Wow. Let me think," I muttered. I didn't know many ballads, though I did remember a beautiful song that I had once heard from a popular Irish troupe. It was a ballad for Kili's people, or, at least, his actors' people. "Okay, I've got one."

        "Sing," Kili commanded gently.

        "I hear your voice on the wind
        And I hear you call out my name
        "Listen, my child," you say to me
        "I am the voice of your history
        Be not afraid, come follow me
        Answer my call and I'll set you free"

        "I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain
        I am the voice of your hunger and pain
        I am the voice that always is calling you
        I am the voice, I will remain

        "I am the voice in the fields when the summer's gone
        The dance of the leaves when the autumn winds blow
        Ne'er do I sleep throughout all the cold winter long
        I am the force that in springtime will grow

        "I am the voice of the past that will always be
        Filled with my sorrow and blood in my fields
        I am the voice of the future
        Bring me your peace
        Bring me your peace and my wounds, they will heal

        "I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain
        I am the voice of your hunger and pain
        I am the voice that always is calling you
        I am the voice

        "I am the voice in the past that will always be
        I am the voice of your hunger and pain
        I am the voice of the future
        I am the voice

        "I am the voice
        I am the voice
        I am the voice."

        As my voice dropped off, there was a soft smattering of applause from the company. I bowed my head gratefully. "Beautiful. The voice and its owner," Kili said.

        I giggled and blushed from my cheeks to my chest, looking away from Kili. I didn't want him to see my embarrassment. I jumped in surprise a moment later as Fili popped up on my other side. "Might I borrow him for a moment?" Fili asked, motioning to his brother. "I promise to return him shortly."

        "I suppose I could give him up for a few minutes," I teased.

        Kili and I exchanged a smile as he allowed me to gently slip from my spot on his back and shoulders. I let out a deep breath as my arms quivered with a slight strain. As Fili took his brother's arm and pulled him away, I chuckled under my breath. They were just like little kids; constantly gossiping about the newest relationships within the company. I rolled my eyes at them, gently scuffing my boots against the rocks, trying to ignore what I knew the company was whispering about.

        After a moment, I glanced at Fili and Kili and smiled. The brothers were speaking in Khuzdul in hushed tones. I couldn't make out many of the words but I did catch my name being thrown around. I knew that they were speaking about me, just as I knew the rest of the company were speaking about my relationship with Kili as we were formally on the mend. Kili glanced back at me for just a moment, sending me a playful wink. I blushed at the look in his eye.

        For a while, I took in the beautiful sights as we climbed down the Carrock. I had never seen a place so beautiful. I couldn't believe that I was here now. As awful as some parts of the journey had been and as horrible as my brief heartbreak with Kili had been, I was thrilled to be in Middle-Earth. It was gorgeous here. I almost couldn't believe that I used to love living in a concrete jungle. There was something peaceful about living in Middle-Earth, even with the deadly creatures.

        I knew that part of my feelings for Middle-Earth tied into my feelings for Kili. I knew that I was seeing his world through rose-tinted glasses. In a fleeting moment of desperation, I wondered how it would feel once I returned to my world. Would I be able to get used to college classes and working again? Would I continue things with Brian or finally be brave enough to break things off? Would my friends find their places in my heart again? Would my family still feel like my family?

        It was a fear that had continually been in my mind over the last few months. What would life be like once I returned to my old world? Was I going to return to my world? I felt like I could assimilate back to my old life but I knew I was going to have a hard time leaving Kili. I was almost positive that I was in love with him and it was the kind of love I had never felt before. I wasn't sure that I could break things off with him before returning home. I couldn't imagine not being with him.

        "You look to be in deep thought," Thorin said.

        Thorin's voice broke me from my thoughts as I turned back to Thorin with a smile. He had fallen back from his place at the front of the pack to walk at my side. "Trust me, they're thoughts I'm happy to be broken from," I told him truthfully.

        Thorin stared at me worriedly. "Are you all right?"

        "Yeah. I'm just thinking too far ahead," I said.

        "To Erebor?" Thorin asked.

        For the first time, I realized there was something far worse to deal with than my impossible task at the Battle of Five Armies. "Farther than that. I guess I'm thinking about once you recover Erebor and the fight is over and there's nothing left to do. What happens then?" I asked facetiously.

        "What would you like?" Thorin asked.

        It was impossible to figure out what I wanted; going home seemed awful and staying here didn't seem like a plausible option. "I'm not sure," I said honestly. "I've lived with my family my entire life. I've always had my sister and my parents and I'll admit that I've missed them a lot. That being said, though, I can't imagine not being around you all."

        "Understandably you would miss your family having never been away from them before," Thorin said.

        "They drive me out of my damn mind but it would be weird to just never see them again."

        "Would it be possible to go back and visit them?"

        "Perhaps, but it's a long journey between my home and Erebor," I said.

        Was there a chance I could travel back-and-forth between the realms? That would be an interesting happy-medium if it were possible. "You feel that you must choose," Thorin said knowingly.

        "I do, and I don't want to."

        "You have time to make that choice."

        "It'll come faster than I think."

        There were only a few short months left until I would have to make my choice. "Does your family know where you are?" Thorin asked.

        In a different realm that's a fictional story where I'm from? No way. "To a degree. They knew that I felt like I had to spread my wings and do something more with my life. I just didn't know where my journey was going to take me. Gandalf was the one who picked me up and suggested I come with him. I never knew I would be out here," I said as truthfully as I could.

        "Have you considered writing to them and telling them where you are once we arrive?" Thorin asked.

        Was there any way I could send them a letter? Would they ever know what happened to me if I stayed here? Would they think I had died or simply vanished? "I've considered it but... I don't know how they would react. They would be angry that I went on such a dangerous journey without them knowing but I think they would be happy too," I said.

        "Happy?" Thorin repeated questioningly.

        "Yes. Before the journey, I'll be honest, I hadn't felt like myself in a long time. I wasn't enjoying the things that normally made me happy. My life started feeling monotonous," I admitted awkwardly. There weren't many people I had admitted that too. "Meeting all of you changed that. I started feeling like I had a purpose in life again."

        "Miss Ambrose -"

        "Leah," I interrupted.

        Everyone else here called me Leah. I was sick of hearing Thorin call me by my last name. I shot Thorin a nasty scowl as he slowly smiled back at me. "Leah," Thorin corrected himself. I nodded my confirmation. "I do believe you've brought some sense of purpose to some people here."

        I smiled awkwardly. "You've helped raise a good man," I said slowly.

        "He's surpassed even me," Thorin said.

        "What do you mean?" I asked curiously.

        Thorin had always struck me as a reasonably proud person. "Kili has always been a good judge of character. Even more so than I am," Thorin admitted pointedly.

        As long as he was willing to admit that he'd made a mistake about me, I didn't care. I smiled at Thorin as I gently rested my hand on his arm. "Remember who taught him that," I said quietly.

        The two of us smiled at each other as Thorin placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. I giggled under my breath as we continued moving down the steps of the Carrock. I glanced back at Fili and Kili as we walked and saw them speaking to each other in hushed tones. Though they were smiling and laughing, I could tell that it was a serious conversation. I knew that they were speaking about me and a very large part of me wished that I knew what they were talking about.

        Kili's P.O.V.

        Fili and Kili were walking together toward the back of the group. What they had to discuss wasn't something the rest of the group needed to hear. Thorin overhearing would have been one thing, but everyone else didn't need to hear the intimate details of Kili's relationship and feelings for Leah. They had all already been far too involved in the pair's relationship. The next step needed to be between the two of them and them only. All of that didn't mean that Kili didn't need some advice from his older brother.

        The brothers were speaking in hushed Khuzdul. "You look happy," Fili commented.

        "I am. I'm happier than I've ever been before," Kili admitted.

        "I see it. I saw it from the moment you laid eyes on her," Fili said. He had never seen a brightness in his brother's eyes the way he had when Kili was around Leah. "When you have the chance you'll have to speak to her."

        "Of course. There are so many things I still have to tell her," Kili replied.

        "Like what comes after the journey?" Fili asked knowingly. It was easy to see that neither Kili nor Leah knew what would happen once the company reclaimed Erebor. Kili glanced at his brother and sighed. "We're not far from Erebor. Once we get there and defeat Smaug and there's nothing more to be done, what happens?"

        "In an ideal world I would be able to tell her that I love her and want her to stay in Erebor with me," Kili said as quietly as possible. He didn't need anyone else to overhear him admitting he loved Leah; he hadn't even told Leah yet. Fili nodded at his brother slowly. "It's not an ideal world. She has a life and family in Rohan. I have to understand that Leah may not choose to stay with us."

        "Have you ever mentioned that you wanted her to stay?" Fili asked.

        "Yes, but we've never truly discussed the issue," Kili explained. "I want her to stay but I don't want her to feel as though I'm trying to pull her away from the life she had already established before we met."

        Fili hummed under his breath. "Something tells me that this question has crossed Leah's mind as well. I'm sure she feels as torn as you do."

        Kili ran his hands over his face. "This is harder than I expected."

        "No one ever said love was easy. It's not easy, but it is worth it."

        "Yes, it is."

        A small grin turned up on the corners of Kili's lips. "You have the brightest smile on your face when you think or talk about her," Fili pointed out. "It's something I can only hope to have one day."

        "May yours go smoother than mine has," Kili joked.

        Fili laughed. The brothers both glance forward to look at Leah. She was laughing quietly with Thorin. Fili noticed that the bandage on Leah's arm was beginning to bleed through. "She nearly died to save Thorin," Fili pointed out.

        The thought made Kili shudder slightly. It would have broken his heart if Leah had died. "Leah has proven to me time and time again that she will do whatever it takes to keep us safe," Kili replied. Leah was braver than any other woman either brother had ever met. She was always willing to throw herself into the line of danger if it meant that it would save the rest of the company. "It's something I'm immensely grateful for, I just wish that she would stop nearly giving her life to do it."

        "I think it speaks to how much she loves you," Fili reasoned.

        "If she had died last night..." Kili trailed off, goosebumps rising on his arms.

        The brothers remained in silence for a long time. Fili knew that his brother wouldn't have known what to do with himself if Leah had died during the encounter with Azog. "Would you have known how to go on?" Fili asked.

        Kili hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "I'm not sure," Kili admitted, so lowly that Fili had a hard time hearing him. "I've become so used to having her in my life and I haven't wanted to consider what life could be like without her."

        "Do you think there's a chance of that happening?" Fili asked.

        The color drained from Kili's face. "Gods, I hope not. It's not even about her potentially dying in battle. If Leah chooses to leave once the journey is over... I'm not so sure that it will matter," Kili mumbled quietly. Fili nodded for his brother to continue. "From the moment we met Leah, she took ahold of my heart and she's never let it go. It will always belong to her, wherever she may go."

        "She needs to hear that," Fili confirmed.

        Kili took a deep breath as he turned to look at Leah again. She was smiling at Thorin as they spoke quietly. It was something Kili found himself doing more and more as time wore on. Sometimes he had no desire to speak to her. All he wanted to do was look at her. Kili loved seeing the sunshine in her eyes, illuminating a playful glitter in them. He loved watching her laugh as she would throw her head back and her face would light up, her hair dangling into the shallow of her back. 

        The way Kili looked at Leah was the way he had never looked at anyone before. "She will. I need her to know the effect she's had on me and will always continue to have," Kili told his brother, never once looking away from Leah.

        Leah's P.O.V.

        As the company continued walking down the Carrock, I glanced at Thorin. Now that we were on speaking terms, I was enjoying getting to know him. "It's kind of disappointing," I said suddenly. Thorin looked up, raising a bushy eyebrow. "I was writing letters to my sister, even though I never got a chance to send them. I guess I was planning on giving them all to her when this was over. She’s too young to do any of this so it was her way of living through me."

        The good thing was that even if someone found my letters to Harley, they would have no idea who had written them or what they meant. "What is your sister's name?" Thorin asked thoughtfully, making me laugh. "What is it?"

        "I've talked about my sister non-stop since the beginning of the journey and you don’t even know her name," I pointed out.

        Thorin flushed with embarrassment. "I've heard you mention her; I suppose I haven't been listening."

        "It's a habit, I've seen," I teased.

        Thorin smiled bashfully at me. I was just messing with him but I did want to make it known that he hadn't even made an effort to get to know or like me. "I'm sorry," Thorin said quietly.

        "It's okay," I confirmed. As long as we were on the same page now, that was what mattered. That was what I needed to remember when I tried to save his life. "Her name is Harley. She's sixteen and a massive pain in the ass." Thorin laughed. "That said, she's my best friend and I wouldn't trade her for the world. I do miss her."

        "She is lucky to have you as a sister," Thorin said.

        "Thank you, Thorin," I replied.

        It was nice to see that Thorin was finally learning how to be friendly toward me. "Would she have enjoyed the journey?" Thorin asked curiously.

        A wild bark of laughter escaped my throat as I shook my head. I would have paid good money to see Harley come along on the journey. "No. I was always the more adventurous of the two of us. Harley is the kind of girl who will go to the end's of the earth to find her prince charming, but she'll be staying in the nicest inns along the way," I said, making Thorin laugh. "Whoever she picks though, she has to bring them to me for final approval."

        "You two sound very much like Fili and Kili," Thorin said fondly.

        "We are," I admitted. Harley and I loved each other to death but that didn't mean that we weren't constantly teasing each other. "She would like them a lot."

        "Would you like her to meet him?" Thorin asked.

        If inter-dimensional travel becomes more common. "Yes, I would," I said. Harley would adore Kili and I had a feeling he would like her too. "I'd love for him to meet my family. My mother and grandmother would love him. They love any man brave enough to hang around me. My father doesn't get too interested in my relationships, but I think he'd approve. Harley would love him and I don't think she'd stop asking him questions about his intentions as long as they were together."

        Thorin smiled fondly. I imagined he liked the idea of a large family. "His intentions are pure."

        "I know," I said, trying to resist the urge to laugh. That wasn't the kind of purity that Thorin was talking about. "I'd love to meet your sister. Dis, right?"

        "Yes," Thorin confirmed. I would have loved to see what a female dwarf looked like. "She would very much enjoy the chance to meet you. She would also very much despise the way I've treated you."

        "It'll be our little secret," I promised. There was no reason to make Thorin's sister furious with him. I wanted to get to know Kili's mother, not rat out Thorin to her. Thorin turned to stare at me in surprise. "You were protecting your nephew in the only way you knew how. We're good, Thorin, I promise."

        Thorin inclined his head respectfully. "Thank you, Leah."

        "Leah," Kili's voice called.

        "Yes?" I asked, glancing at him.

        "Can we talk?" Kili asked.

        The nerves in my stomach fluttered slightly as I glanced back at Thorin, who smiled fondly between Kili and me. "Go on," Thorin said, stepping back from us. "We can continue this later."

        "Thank you," I told Thorin. He patted Kili gently on the back as he walked away. Kili smiled fondly at his uncle before turning back to me. I smiled at him. "Sure. What's up?"

        Kili took a deep breath. I knew that he was getting into something that had been discussed between himself and Fili. "What you did for Thorin back there… it was one of the most foolish things I've ever seen someone do," Kili said. I smiled at him. Foolish was a perfect way to describe me. "And I couldn't be more grateful to you."

        Even though I hadn't been able to hear or understand any of the conversations between Fili and Kili, I had known by the looks on their faces that they'd had a serious conversation. "He might not be my favorite person in the world, but Thorin is your family. Like as not, he's also my friend. Don't tell him I said that," I said quickly. Kili laughed at my honesty. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes to save him and everyone else in this company."

        "He's grateful to you. More than I thought he could be," Kili said.

        "Referencing what he said back there," I replied.

        "Indeed."

        Kili stared at me for a few moments, giving me my chance to say my piece. I flushed with color as I stared at the ground. "Well… I can't honestly say that I was expecting this conversation to happen so fast," I mumbled.

        "We've put it off long enough. I can't put this off any longer. There are things I must say to you," Kili said determinedly.

        "Understood and reciprocated," I replied.

        "Leah, I -"

        "Hang on," I said, cutting off whatever he was going to say.

        "Have I said something?" Kili asked worriedly.

        "What? No. It's just…" I trailed off as I leaned into Kili slightly. "Do you think we can have this conversation when the rest of the peanut gallery isn't listening?"

        Kili turned back in surprise to try and figure out what I was talking about. We both had a decent laugh from the sight of the dwarves whipping in each other's direction to try their hardest to look like they weren't just attempting to overhead our conversation. I rolled my eyes at the sight of them. I had figured they would be trying to listen, but I'd hoped that they would be a little less obvious about it. The dwarves began talking among themselves about the most random things, making me snort in amusement.

        At least we would have a few moments of peace now that they were trying to look like they hadn't been watching us. Kili shook his head at his friends. "Perhaps that's for the best," he muttered.

        "Agreed. But we will talk about it. I promise," I said.

        We needed to have a real conversation about what was going to come of our relationship. Were we supposed to go forward with whatever we were doing? Were we supposed to give the romance a real shot? Were we supposed to cut things off because of how our story was destined to end? I wasn't sure. I was glad that Kili rested a hand against the bottom of my back, nudging me along. There were no glances from the company this time. Instead, everyone was smiling at us. They must have been happy that our fight was over.

        As we continued down the steps of the Carrock, I leaned into Kili and lowered my voice to a whisper. "Kili?"

        "Yes?" he replied.

        "Thanks for not giving up on us. Even when I did," I told him.

        Kili was the person I had to thank for our relationship. I would have never been brave enough to keep nudging whatever this was forward. "Never. The truth is, Leah, you never gave up on us either," Kili said. I raised my eyebrows, motioning him to keep talking. "Everything you did was for us. You sacrificed a relationship to save one."

        "Hopefully not permanently," I said.

        "Absolutely not," Kili confirmed.

        The two of us walked in silence for a long time along with the rest of the company. Everyone was exhausted from the evening with the Orcs and Wargs. We were all ready for a good night's sleep. Unfortunately, I wasn't going to get my good night's sleep for a while. So, I stared at the view from the top of the Carrock. I had always thought that it was one of the most beautifully scenic sights in the Hobbit trilogy, even if it was CGI. I was happy to see that it was just as pretty in real life.

        "It's beautiful up here," I breathed.

        "The view is lovely indeed," Kili agreed. "But I see a much better one right in front of me."

        My cheeks flushed slightly as I glanced out of the corner of my eyes to stare at Kili. He was sending me a long and loving stare that made my stomach flutter. My cheeks were burning with embarrassment as the other dwarves began mumbling among themselves about the brief exchange. I knew that our relationship was going to make the company talk and make me feel like I was living in a reality show. They loved the new relationship forming in the company. So, I decided to tease Kili to take my mind off of them.

        I shoved Kili's arm gently as we walked. "That's the worst pickup line I've ever heard," I teased.

        "What is a pickup line?" Kili asked curiously.

        Right... I doubted anyone in Middle-Earth had heard that term. "I always forget that we have such different colloquialisms," I said. Kili nodded thoughtfully. "Oh, so that word you've heard?"

        Kili laughed. "That one I have heard. What does it mean?"

        "A pickup line is something that someone says to try and grab the attention of someone they're romantically interested in. You know, kind of like 'Did it hurt when you fell from… Arda?'" I said dumbly, realizing too late that I couldn't use any pickup lines from my old world that would make sense in this one.

        "I don't understand," Kili replied.

        "Yeah… that's a stupid one," I muttered.

        My face flushed with color as I wondered if I had lost my flirtation skills since arriving in Middle-Earth. "You may think that it was a… pickup line… but I meant it," Kili said, breaking me from my thoughts. "There's never been a better view."

        My face burned again as I subconsciously rolled my eyes at myself. I wasn't able to flirt anymore and I was always embarrassed by what Kili said. Great... Even worse was that the other dwarves were listening to us talk. "Okay, I know that we're all standing close together, but can you all at least pretend that you're talking to each other and not eavesdropping?" I yelled, raising my voice so that the rest of the company could hear me.

        All of the dwarves started slightly in surprise and whipped around to each other, immediately launching into conversations that ranged from when we would be stopping to rest to what we would be eating for dinner to how much longer the journey to Erebor might take. I rolled my eyes at them. They were like little children who always wanted to know what the latest gossip was. I turned back to Kili, who was laughing at the annoyance written all over my face.

        "That's one way to get them to go about their business," Kili teased.

        "Nadad!" Fili yelled in Khuzdul. He ran up to us, wrapping an arm around his younger brother as he looked at me. "Might I borrow him for another moment?"

        "We're needy, aren't we?" I teased. Fili whacked me over the head as I laughed. "Go ahead. We'll have time to talk later."

        At least, we would have a while to talk if we weren't eaten on the way to Beorn's house. I wished I could remember how long we would stay there. I smiled at Kili nervously and rolled my eyes at Fili's playful wink as the two brothers walked off. I sped up to walk with Thorin, much to my surprise. He was easily becoming my friend. We exchanged a small smile as we walked together in silence. Perhaps this was the beginning of more than one change in a relationship.

        "We're getting closer every minute," I told Thorin.

        His eyes were firmly focused on the mountain. I could see the eagerness in his stance. "You will be the first of your race ever to enter the mountain," Thorin pointed out.

        "At the rate we were going there, for a while I didn't even think you'd let me enter the mountain," I said honestly.

        "I highly considered it," Thorin admitted. We both laughed at his honesty. "You will love Erebor."

        "I'm excited to see it," I replied. Erebor seemed beautiful. I couldn't help but think about how incredible it would be to see all of the dwarves' treasures. "It's always seemed so far-off. But, at this point, I think we'll be there in a few months."

        "No more than two months," Thorin said.

        It was very hard to keep myself from laughing at the confidence in Thorin's voice. I hoped that Thorin would eventually understand that there were going to be many slowdowns in between here and the halls of Erebor. We would get lost in Mirkwood, run into Lord Thranduil's elves and wind up stuck in his halls and get sidetracked in Laketown. I just wished that I could remember the timeline from the novel a little bit better. I was reasonably certain that it would take us about three months to get to Erebor.

        "There are many empty rooms and halls in Erebor," Thorin said, shattering my train of thoughts.

        "I bet there are. You're talking about a company of fifteen people going to a city meant for thousands," I replied.

        "Room for all."

        "You mean those in the Blue Mountains and Iron Hills?"

        No one had ever told me how many dwarves there were in Middle-Earth, but I knew that Thorin wouldn't want only thirteen people living in Erebor. "Certainly. Perhaps even a room spared for someone else, if they do so choose to accept it," Thorin said gently.

        Meaning that he was thinking of allowing me to live in Erebor... "Really?" I asked, shocked.

        Thorin met my eyes and nodded slowly. "Of course, we will understand if you choose to return to Rohan," Thorin said. My stomach began twisting in knots. I wasn't sure what I was going to do when the journey came to an end. If I lived, would I go home? Would I want to stay in Middle-Earth? What would happen to my family at home? "But in the instance, you choose to remain with us, there will always be room for you in Erebor."

        If only Thorin wanted me to leave Erebor and never return. That would have made my options much easier. "Thank you, Thorin. I - I'll think about it," I said honestly.

        "I'm glad to hear that. I'm sure that someone else will manage a much more persuading argument," Thorin said, chuckling.

        It was nice to see Thorin acting like a human being who finally approved of his nephew's relationship. "Who knows? Maybe I'll let him sweat for a little while," I teased. Thorin let out a deep laugh that I smiled at. I was reasonably certain that I'd never heard him laugh before. "Wow. I think that's the first laugh or smile I've ever gotten out of you."

        Thorin smiled earnestly. "Perhaps we just needed some time to get used to each other."

        "And the idea that your nephew was a little more fond of me than you liked?" I asked.

        Thorin thought for a moment before speaking. "He's happy. That - more than anything else - is what I've always wanted for him."

        "You have my word that I'll try my hardest to keep it that way," I said honestly.

        "I believe that," Thorin said. If I had anything to say about it, Kili was going to be happy. Whether that was with me or around his family, I didn't care. "I noticed that you lost your knife. What happened?"

        It was hard to not react at Thorin's mention of Azog. All I could see was Thorin's giving his dying speech to Bilbo while laying in the snow. "When Azog attacked you back there I didn't take the time to think that my bow and arrows were with Kili. Like a moron, I tried to take him on with a knife. I threw it and he blocked it like it was nothing," I said, trying to break my thoughts. "It's probably somewhere at the bottom of a ravine now. Either that or he's planning on driving it through my eye."

        "You have my word that he will never hurt you," Thorin said determinedly.

        There was very little doubt in my mind that Azog wouldn't be coming after me. There was a chance that he might try to come after me to get me back for the knife in his shoulder, but I wasn't his biggest concern. Azog wasn't going to try to hurt me because he was going to be far too busy trying to hurt Thorin. I was certain that Azog wasn't thrilled that the man who took off his arm was still running around Middle-Earth. The Battle of Five Armies was the perfect place for Azog to try and rectify that.

        "Thank you. I believe you," I told Thorin honestly.

        "In the meantime, I thought that you could use another knife," Thorin said.

        Thorin reached into his belt and pulled out a knife that I had seen him use a few times around the campsites before. He handed the knife to me wordlessly and I took it, turning it over in my hands a few times. Thorin had many knives in his belt - much like Fili did - but Thorin had never handed one of his to someone else. It was in the shape of a bowie knife and had dwarfish runes carved into the dark wood handle. The blade itself was nearly a foot long. The knife was beautiful and looked extremely old.

        "Thank you, Thorin. It's lovely," I said, gently gripping the hilt.

        "It was my father's," Thorin explained.

        It was very hard to keep from dropping the knife. I couldn't believe that Thorin Oakenshield - a man who had hated me a few hours ago - was now handing me his deceased father's knife. "Oh… Thorin… I can't take this. It's too much," I said, trying to hand the knife back.

        Thorin smiled, closing my fingers around the hilt and pushing the knife back toward me. "I have a funny feeling that we won't be rid of you anytime soon," Thorin teased. I cracked a small smile. I loved hearing him joke around. "You are one of us now."

        "I'll guard it with my life," I promised.

        "One of many things I will be entrusting you with," Thorin continued gently.

        It went without saying that the other thing Thorin would be entrusting me with was Kili's heart. I'd never been with someone I cared for as much as I cared for Kili. I had never been worried about what it would be like to have someone's heart in my hands. Now I knew what it felt like. Thorin may not have realized it yet, but besides entrusting me with Kili's heart, he was also entrusting me with all of their lives. If it was up to me, I wouldn't lose a single one of those things.

        Third Person P.O.V.

        As Kili walked alongside his older brother, he kept his gaze focused on Thorin and Leah. They were toward the front of the pack and seemed to be as friendly as they had ever been. Neither one of them seemed particularly annoyed with the other. There were no scowls or snide remarks. If he didn't know any better, he would have sworn that the two of them were friends. Thorin and Leah having a civil interaction was an odd sight to behold, but Kili was happy to see it.

        "That seems civil," Fili commented.

        Fili had been watching Thorin and Leah as closely as Kili was. "They look almost like they're friends," Kili replied curiously.

        "Good. It's been a long time coming," Fili said. They had been the only two people in the company who hadn't gotten along. "Your conversation with her also seemed to be a long time coming."

        "I doubt you would have let me put it off much longer," Kili teased.

        Kili knew his older brother well enough to know that Fili would have done anything possible to push him together with Leah. "You would have been correct about that. You two deserve the chance to say everything you haven't been able to say," Fili said.

        "We haven't gotten there yet," Kili mumbled.

        "You'll have to soon," Fili replied.

        "She seems nervous," Kili explained.

        Leah had always been such a relaxed person. Kili had never seen her as nervous as she had been over the last few hours. "Who can blame her? Every time the two of you have come close to working things out before, something has gotten in the way," Fili pointed out.

        Kili nodded understandingly. He knew that Leah was nervous to take a step forward because of all the steps they had taken backward. "Of course. I wouldn't know what to do if I was her. I don't know what to do anyway," Kili said, rolling his eyes at himself. Fili laughed quietly at his little brother. "I never thought that falling in love would be this difficult."

        "It will be worth it," Fili said.

        The brother chuckled as they watched Leah and Thorin walk for a few moments. The pair were smiling happily as they walked. Leah must have realized that she was being watched as she turned back and shot the brothers a wink. Fili laughed as Kili reddened. "Yes, it will," Kili said quietly.

        "Go get her," Fili goaded knowingly.

        Kili thanked his brother and departed to walk alongside Leah and Thorin. As Kili walked up to the pair, they smiled and greeted him. Leah and Kili immediately launched into a conversation as they walked together. The company watched them as they joked around, nudging each other and giggling like morons. It was a moment of levity that the entire company needed. For the first time since the journey began, the company wasn't annoyed by Leah and Kili's flirting - they now found it charming.

        As the dwarves had all known Kili since the day he was born, they all had a great love for him. All they wanted was for him to be happy. Leah may not have been the person they had expected him to be happy with, but they all knew now that she was the person with the capability to make him happy. She could make him happier than any of the rest of them could. They had come to adore Leah as well and they were pleased to see that she had found a place within their company.

        As the company continued steadily wandering down the steps of the Carrock, Thorin glanced up. Leah and Kili were walking closely together, both laughing and chatting happily. Kili had an arm wrapped around Leah's shoulder but dropped it when she playfully shoved him away. Fili caught his uncle's eyes as they walked and nodded, understanding the look. He turned and interrupted Leah's conversation, pulling her attention to himself. Thorin took the moment to converse with his nephew.

        "I see it now," Thorin said.

        "Uncle?" Kili asked.

        "I once told you that I didn't see the draw to Miss Ambrose that the others in the company felt. I see it now," Thorin admitted.

        Kili smiled at his uncle's honesty. He knew what it took to get Thorin to admit that he was wrong about something. "She's been hoping to earn your affection for months now. This is sure to make her happy," Kili said.

        Thorin smiled fondly at his youngest nephew. "I doubt my affections were the ones she was vying for," Thorin pointed out. Kili gave his uncle a bashful smile. "You love her."

        Kili knew that it wasn't a question. "I do."

        Thorin nodded. "Good. I believe she loves you as well."

        "I'm hopeful."

        Everything in Kili told him that Leah loved him, but there was always some doubt in the back of his mind. "Your father would have been thrilled to see the young man you've grown into," Thorin said, breaking Kili's thoughts.

        "It's all because of you, Thorin. You raised us," Kili said.

        Thorin shook his head. "I haven't always done right by him."

        Kili knew that Thorin was talking about his father. "You have," Kili countered. "I know it and so does she. Whatever you did and whatever you said was done out of love, not malice. I know that you never meant to hurt her."

        "I never meant to hurt you either."

        "You didn't," Kili said. Thorin gave his younger nephew a disbelieving look. Kili sent his uncle a guilty smile. "Maybe a bit, but I do know that it was done for the best reasons."

        "That doesn't change that I kept you from a woman you love," Thorin pointed out.

        "Not forever," Kili said.

        "No. Not forever... and not now," Thorin said. He smiled, noticing that Kili kept sending Leah longing glances, as she was standing with Fili and laughing at something he was saying. "You want to be with her. It's okay. Be with her."

        "Thank you, Thorin," Kili said.

        Thorin shook his head. "There's nothing to thank me for. Go."

        It didn't take more than that for Kili to walk off. Kili gently patted Thorin on the back as he sped up to walk with Leah. Thorin watched his youngest nephew with a strong fondness growing in his heart. He had always loved seeing Kili happy, but he was beginning to enjoy seeing Leah happy as well. Thorin was extremely pleased that Kili was finally with Leah Ambrose. It was happier than Thorin had ever seen him before, and it was as happy as Thorin hoped he always would be.

        Leah's P.O.V.

        I smiled as Kili walked up to my side. Fili grinned and grabbed my shoulder tightly for a moment before heading off. "You look like you want something," I teased him.

        Kili shook his head. "Not at all. I have everything I want."

        "Everything?" I asked disbelievingly.

        Kili took my hand in his and raised it to his lips, pressing a kiss against my fingers. I smiled and blushed as he dropped my hand again. "Oh, yes. This is what I wanted," Kili confirmed.

        I smiled happily as I rested my head on his shoulder for a moment. "It's what I want, too," I said quietly, smiling as Kili wound an arm around my back. "Well, this and for everyone here to like me."

        "Everyone here does like you," Kili said.

        "Please, everyone tolerates me. They all like you," I said.

        Kili smiled playfully as he looked away from me. "Do you like me?"

        I raised my head from Kili's shoulder to give him a thoughtful stare. "Eh, I could learn to," I teased.

        Kili chuckled under his breath as we continued walking side-by-side. I smiled up at Kili as he reached for my hand and entangled our fingers together. "And I, you," Kili replied playfully.

        It took less than a moment for me to spot that the other company members were watching us with a smile. I giggled slightly as Kili tightened his grip on my hand. My feelings for the youngest Durin were feelings I had never had toward anyone else. They weren't even close. If I were a little bolder, I might have even believed that I was in love with him. It felt that way. The way I felt toward Kili was the way I had always imagined a first love should feel like.

        As we walked, I wrapped a spare hand around Kili's upper arm. He grinned at me as we walked down a long path leading to the end of the Carrock's walkway to the ground. We had been walking all morning after the all-night fight and if I weren't so thrilled with the newest change in my relationship with Kili, I would have been exhausted. I was sure that once we got to Beorn's home, all I would want to do was sleep for a few weeks. It was too bad that there would be very little time for rest.

        Our large group began laughing and teasing each other as we talked among ourselves to try and pass the time. It felt like we had walked for an eternity without stopping as Gandalf announced, plain and clear as possible, that we would be followed by Azog and the rest of his pack, who wouldn't be happy that their prize had escaped them. It took us nearly all morning long to finally arrive at the bottom of the Carrock. I immediately missed the assist of gravity from our previous descent.

        There was a flat space on top of the stone hill and a well-worn path with many steps leading down it to the river, across which a ford of huge flat stones led to the open forest beyond the stream. There was a little cave (that didn't have goblins hiding underneath) at the foot of the steps and near the end of the stony ford. That was where Thorin allowed us to stop and eat - even though all we had was a rabbit, which I was unable to stomach. I decided to wait, much to Kili's chagrin. He wanted me to eat something as I hadn't for days.

        Once they were done eating, the dwarves took off their clothes and bathed in the river at the ford, which was shallow and clear and stony. I was immensely jealous as I listened to them splash around and enjoy themselves. All I wanted was to jump in with them and wash away the blood and sweat that was still clinging to me. I was glad that Thorin had agreed to give me a few minutes to bathe once the dwarves and Bilbo were done. I couldn't stand feeling like a human trash can much longer.

        As I wandered around the woods, the dwarves took their time drying themselves in the sun, which was now strong and warm. They all sounded much happier. I spent almost half an hour waiting for the men to finish by trying my hand at a simple hunt, though I was warned by the dwarves to not venture off too far as they didn't want me to stumble across Azog's group. I didn't catch anything as I wasn't willing to shoot a small squirrel that crossed my path. Once the dwarves had finally finished, it was my turn.

        The group returned, all nodding that I could take my bath in the lake. I turned to Thorin, who already looked antsy to keep moving. I didn't blame him. "I'll be quick," I told Thorin.

        "Keep a close eye out," Thorin advised.

        "I will." I headed toward the river but stopped when I saw Kili. I could handle myself but I did want a second pair of eyes, just in case. "Mind giving me a hand?" I asked him.

        "Of course not," Kili said, nodding for me to start walking. "Shall we?"

        We smiled at each other as we headed toward the river. I positioned myself at the edge of the water as the dwarves moved off to give me some privacy. Kili stood with his back to the river as I stripped off my clothing and bandaging quickly and hopped into the water. I could hear Kili chuckling as I popped back above the water and started scrubbing myself clean of the built-up blood, sweat, and dirt. I had accidentally run my hand over my shoulder wound harder than I was expecting.

        "Ow," I groaned.

        Kili turned very slightly toward the sound of my distress while still looking in the other direction. "Leah," Kili called. "Are you all right?"

        "It's my shoulder. I can't tell how bad it is," I said.

        "I'll look when you're done," Kili offered.

        "Come here," I called.

        Even without looking at him, I knew that his face was bright red. "Leah -"

        "I'm hidden behind the riverbank. My shoulder is above the water," I said, slinking a little lower under the water. I knew what he would be concerned about. "You won't see anything, I promise."

        "You're certain?" Kili asked worriedly.

        "Yeah," I confirmed.

        Kili still hesitated for a few moments before turning back to me. He faced me very slowly and smiled awkwardly as I dipped lower into the water, keeping my shoulder in view. I smiled as Kili walked to the edge of the riverbank and lowered onto his knees. I popped my injured shoulder out of the water and moved parallel to his knees. Kili's cheeks were slightly red as he moved my hair off of my shoulder to get a better look at my wound. He very gently prodded at the edges of the wound as I wiggled in discomfort.

        We remained in silence for about a minute before Kili spoke. "It doesn't look good," he muttered quietly.

        I nodded slowly. "Awesome," I groaned.

        "Should I have Oin come look at the wound?" Kili asked worriedly.

        "No," I said immediately. All that would do was slow us down. We had to get to Beorn's home and we had very little time remaining to do so. I could get myself patched up once we were somewhere safe. "We should keep moving until we put more distance between ourselves and the Orc pack."

        Kili nodded slowly as he gently moved his fingers along the edges of my wound. I winced slightly from the sudden pressure and Kili released me. "Leah Ambrose, I do believe you have an astounding ability to pick fights with everyone you come across," Kili teased.

        I laughed. "We don't all have the luxury to pick and choose our battles. Sometimes they just come at me unannounced," I reasoned.

        Though, if I was being fair, I did tend to get involved in fights I probably didn't need to be involved in. "You didn't have to get involved in that battle," Kili said.

        "Yes, I did. I'd have done it for any of you. Especially you," I said honestly.

        Kili ran his fingers down through the strands of my damp hair. "Please don't," Kili said.

        "No promises," I replied honestly. We smiled at each other sadly as I decided to be a little bold. Kili watched me curiously as I moved a little closer to him and rested my chin against his knee. I was extremely surprised that he didn't try to move away from discomfort. "What are you thinking?"

        Kili ran his fingers along the shell of my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. "Something I shouldn't be," Kili whispered.

        "Say it," I goaded eagerly.

        Kili shook his head. "Not now." I smiled playfully at Kili as I tilted my head up so I could meet his eyes and gently ran my long nails along his lower thigh. I could feel him tense at my bold touch; it was a good tenseness. "I'll tell you something else," Kili said, his voice thick with either nerves or lust or perhaps both.

        "Yes?" I nudged.

        Kili lowered his voice, likely afraid of what would happen if the rest of the company heard him. "I wish we were alone," Kili said quietly. I looked down at the reflective water, smiling to myself. "Every time I am around you, I wish we were alone. That is the effect you have on me."

        Now that was a good way to make me blush. "You've never felt that way before?" I asked, trying to distract myself from what I wanted to do with him.

        Kili shook his head. "Never."

        "Is it a feeling you like?"

        We exchanged a brief but pleased smile. "It's a feeling I hope to never be without," Kili admitted. I smiled happily at him. My eagerness was quickly replaced with sorrow, though, when I remembered that regardless of what happened during the Battle of Five Armies, I would be forced to return home. At least, I thought I would. "What is it?"

        Kili must have known that my look meant that something was wrong. "Being with you all has been the most incredible journey of my life. I guess I sometimes forget that one day it'll be over and we'll all go back to our lives," I muttered quietly.

        "You'll go back to Rohan?" Kili asked disbelievingly.

        "I don't know," I admitted. I had no idea what was going to happen to me after the journey. Would I be dead? Would I be forced back home? Would I have any memory of what had happened here? Would I have the option of staying in Middle-Earth? What would happen back home if I chose that path? The endless questions gave me a splitting headache. "I miss my family but... I can't imagine not being here with the company. I can't imagine not being with you."

        We remained in silence for a long time. I knew that Kili felt the same way as I did, but neither one of us knew what was going to happen once the journey was over. "Can I come with you to Rohan?" Kili asked, shattering the silence.

        "You would miss Thorin and Fili. You're not meant to be apart," I said honestly.

        Plus, I doubted Kili would be comfortable living in my world. "Neither are we," Kili said, threading our fingers together again.

        No. We weren't meant to be apart. Not now, at least. We were supposed to be together. I glanced up to meet Kili's eyes and smiled sadly. I realized that I had tears in my eyes from my reflection in his. I blinked the waterworks away, feeling terrible that I was bringing the mood down. "I'm sorry. This is supposed to be a happy moment," I muttered.

        Kili shook his head. "I'm happy," he promised, pressing a kiss against my hands as he raised them to my mouth again. "I'm happier than I have been in... some time."

        "Do you think they would notice if we snuck off?" I asked, motioning back to the company.

        Kili laughed. "They likely would, but..."

        I let out a barking laugh, knowing where he was going with that comment. "Maybe I am a bad influence on you," I teased.

        "You are the worst influence anyone has ever made on me," Kili admitted. I shifted guiltily but still smiled, sensing that Kili wasn't done with his comment. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

        "It's part of my charm," I said, shrugging my shoulders playfully.

        We both laughed as I gently pushed myself slightly out of the water. I was low enough that I was still covered by the deep blue lake water, but I had popped so far out of the water that my cleavage was almost fully on display. I could see Kili's throat bob with a swallow as I smiled playfully, leaning onto his knees. Kili's fingers gently ran along my collarbone and down my upper chest as I moved up toward his face. I was intent on kissing him and I could see in his eyes that he wanted me to.

        Unfortunately, Kili also seemed to have some things on his mind. "May I ask you something?" Kili asked.

        I was more than a little annoyed that Kili had interrupted our kiss, but I was also curious about what he wanted. "What is it?" I said.

        "Do you mind if I ask what the name of the young man you left in Rohan?" Kili asked.

        "Oh. Um, his name is Brian," I stammered.

        "Brian..." Kili repeated slowly.

        He was saying the name slowly enough as if to test the name on his tongue. I raised an eyebrow as I watched him. Was he trying to ask me if I was planning on going back to Brian? "Can I take a guess and say you want to ask me if I'm planning on going back to him when this is over?" I asked awkwardly.

        "I'm sorry. That's not my business," Kili said quietly.

        A small smile crept over my face. If we were about to get romantically involved, he had every right to know what was going on with Brian and me. "Eh, I'd say at this point, it is your business," I countered, making Kili smile at me. "No, I'm not. Brian has never been anything less than wonderful and he deserves to be with someone who loves him. That's not me."

        "No?" Kili asked curiously.

        "No. Someone else has my heart," I confirmed.

        The two of us smiled at each other as Kili reached out and took my hand. I smiled as he tugged me against the riverbank and pulled my hand to his mouth. He pressed a loving kiss against my fingers before releasing me. He gently ran his fingers through my wet hair, twisting the strands around his fingers. I wanted to kiss him so desperately but the dwarves were beginning to call us back to them. Kili and I exchanged a sad glance from the calls. I could have happily stayed here for the rest of the afternoon.

        "I guess we should go," I muttered.

        Though, I would have loved laying out by the riverbank with Kili for the rest of the day. Perhaps something more, too... "Would it be improper of me to say that I would much rather stay out here with you?" Kili asked.

        Maybe he wasn't the only person who was interested in a little more than sunbathing. "Yes, but I appreciate it nonetheless," I teased him. His face colored but he was much more confident in himself this time as we exchanged another smile. "Not that I care, but we should probably try and keep up appearances." Kili laughed again. "Turn around."

        "You don't care?" Kili asked.

        I laughed at the amused tone in his voice. "Nah," I said honestly. I raised an eyebrow playfully. "Problem?"

        Kili grinned. "Not at all."

        He was growing much bolder. I watched as Kili stood up and backed a few steps away from the riverbank. I waited until he turned around to head to the edge of the river and push myself onto the grass. I grabbed my dirty clothes and shoved them into my pack. I could wash them at Beorn's house. I almost changed into my clothes but stopped at the last moment. I had to mess with Kili one more time. I knew that he could take it. I walked up behind Kili and gently pressed myself against his back.

        As Kili was only wearing a thin shirt and pair of trousers, I knew that he could feel that I wasn't wearing my clothes yet. I rose on my tiptoes and pressed a kiss against Kili's throat. "Good," I whispered.

        Kili reached back and took my arm. "Can we go back to the river?"

        I giggled, nudging him with my shoulder. "Should've joined me when you had the chance."

        Kili laughed as he squeezed my arm. "Next time."

        "Next time," I agreed.

        A moment passed before Kili released my arm and allowed me to move away. I smiled at his back, even though he couldn't see me, before turning away and grabbing my clothes. I wore a simple white tunic with a pair of black trousers. I pulled on a pair of thick sock with my boots as I knew we would be running soon. I left my hair down but pulled my long bangs back into a half-ponytail to keep them off of my face. Once I had my tunic tied up, I called out.

        "Okay. We can go," I told Kili.

        "Shall we?" he offered, turning back to me.

        I didn't miss the way Kili's eyes briefly flickered to my chest before shooting back up to my eyes. I grinned at the embarrassment in his eyes. "Yeah," I muttered, wishing we didn't have to leave the lake. Kili pressed a kiss against my temple as I smiled, placing a hand on his stomach as we walked off. I lowered my voice to a whisper. "I saw that, by the way."

        "You saw nothing," Kili said. I laughed as he shoved my hip. "Do you care?"

        "Nah," I said brightly.

        Kili laughed again as we headed back to the company, who were none the wiser about what had nearly happened between us. I did enjoy the devious looks I exchanged with Kili as we all gathered our things and began walking again. Within a few minutes, we crossed the ford and then began to march through the long green grass and down the lines of the wide-armed oaks and the tall elms. We still had a long way to walk before us until we reached our temporary safe-house.

        It felt like hours more passed as we hiked through Middle-Earth and headed toward Beorn's house. Up the slopes and down the dale we plodded. It grew uncomfortably hot as we walked. I was used to the heat in Florida and was thrilled to be out of the mountains so the weather didn't bother me, but I knew my companions didn't share my sentiments. Sometimes we stopped to rest under the trees, and I felt so hungry that I would have eaten the acorns if any had been ripe enough yet to have fallen to the ground.

        It was well into the middle of the afternoon before we noticed that great patches of flowers had begun to spring up, all the same kinds growing together as if they had been planted. We were growing close to Beorn's home. More than any others there was clover, waving patches of cockscomb clover, and purple clover, and wide stretches of short white sweet honey-smelling clover. There was a buzzing and whirring droning noise in the air. Bees were fluttering around everywhere. I had never seen anything like them.

        "The bees are huge!" Bilbo gasped.

        Most of the company members looked terrified of the bees. "They're bumblebees. I wouldn't be too afraid that they'll sting you. If you don't mess with them, they won't mess with you," I told them.

        "If one stings me, I'll blow up as large as they are," Bilbo said worriedly.

        "Don't mess with them, then," I teased. Bilbo and I exchanged a playful smile as we stopped to debate where we were supposed to go now. Suddenly, a howl ripped through the air. It sounded much closer than I was hoping for. My head snapped up toward the direction of the howl. "Is that the Orc pack?"

        "They're closing in," Thorin warned.

        "How did they get here so fast?" I asked.

        "Gundabad Orcs are notoriously fast. Their Wargs can traverse the mountain and the Carrock in half the time we can," Gandalf explained.

        "So I see. What do we do?" I asked.

        Realization dawns in Gandalf's eyes as I stared at him intently. I could only hope that he knew that we were near Beorn's home. "We keep moving. Come along!" Gandalf yelled to the rest of the company.

        Our large group gathered our things and moved off. We all knew that we were going to have to find cover before Azog and the rest of his Orc pack realized where we were. I was smart enough to know that the Orc pack could run us down within minutes if we didn't find somewhere to go. I exchanged a look with Gandalf and nodded at him. We both knew that we had to go to Beorn's. It was our only chance for survival. We headed up a small hill as we attempted to evade the Orcs.

        "How do we get around them? We have no idea which way they're headed," Balin pointed out.

        "Or if they know where we are," Dwalin added.

        It took less than sixty seconds for the rest of the company to begin arguing among themselves as I glanced toward where the howl had sounded from. "We can look ahead," I offered.

        "Leah?" Thorin asked.

        I motioned between myself and Bilbo. "We can try and spot them," I said.

        Bilbo looked horrified that I had suggested himself for the task. "What?" he whined.

        Before he could say that he wasn't the man for the job, I grabbed Bilbo and began speaking over him. "Gandalf said it himself; hobbits can pass almost undetected if they wish. We can head up into the pass and see how close the pack is and if they've picked up our scents yet. We can check what direction they're heading," I offered.

        "Be quick about it and keep quiet," Thorin warned.

        "We'll be right back," I told the company.

        "Be careful," Kili said, wrapping an arm around my wrist.

        "When am I not?" I asked teasingly.

        Kili laughed at the haughtiness in my voice. In his defense, I was never careful. As I pulled out of Kili's grip, I smiled weakly at Bilbo and motioned for him to follow me. We walked off, leaving the company to watch us nervously. "Must you have volunteered me to come with you?" Bilbo asked me once we had gotten out of earshot. 

        "You wouldn't want me to get lonely, would you?" I teased.

        "You could have brought Kili along," Bilbo offered.

        "I wouldn't want you to feel like I was replacing you," I said.

        Bilbo laughed. "You look much happier."

        It would have been hard for me to be much more upset than I had been when Kili and I hadn't been speaking. "Yeah, I'm much happier," I confirmed. "I guess I hoped that things would work themselves out but I wasn't expecting much. This is certainly more than I was expecting."

        "You deserve to be happy, Leah," Bilbo said. "You have been a wonderful friend to me since the journey began."

        I smiled at Bilbo and took his hand. "You've been a good friend to me as well, Bilbo."

        Bilbo was one of the few members of the company who had liked me from the moment we had met. "They may not say it but the company is happy to see that Kili and your relationship appear to be mending itself," Bilbo said. I nodded happily; I could tell from the way they were constantly watching us now. "No one enjoyed seeing you both the way you were."

        "Trust me when I say that we didn't enjoy it either," I said. Bilbo chuckled. "Now we see what comes next."

        "Something tells me that the remainder of the journey won't be an easy road -"

        "It's not the end of the journey I'm worried about," I interrupted. That was technically a lie. I was terrified of the Battle of Five Armies and what was supposed to happen in it. Would I be able to save Thorin, Fili, and Kili? If I could, what would happen once the dust had settled? "It's what comes after."

        "When we all go back to our normal lives?" Bilbo asked.

        "Yes," I confirmed.

        What came once everyone was ready to settle down again? It was a question that was continually haunting me these days. "I've got a vague idea that Kili won't be willing to let you go so easily," Bilbo said teasingly.

        I smiled bashfully at him. "I guess not."

        "Promise me something?" Bilbo asked.

        "Anything," I said.

        "You will invite me to your wedding."

        Why did everyone say things like that to me? I wasn't getting married! Sometimes I had a sneaking suspicion that I had an inherent fear of marriage. Still, I laughed jovially, nudging Bilbo as we walked down the path. "Shut up. We're not there," I muttered dumbly.

        "Yet," Bilbo corrected jokingly.

        With a final smile, Bilbo and I backtracked toward the rocks at the lower ledge of the mountains that we had been walking through to see if we could spot the Orc pack. We had since crawled out of the woods that our company had been resting in. I could hear the Wargs howling as I looked around which meant that they couldn't be far. They would likely be higher up in the mountains as they tried to cut our company off in the valley. After a few seconds, I spotted the Orc pack running along the mountain across from us.

        "Over there!" I hissed at Bilbo.

        There were at least five Orc and Warg pairs with Azog in the lead. Bilbo and I ducked behind the rocks as Azog came to the edge of the cliff and sniffed the air. "They're not far," Bilbo whispered.

        They were on the other side of the mountain, but the Wargs would be able to outstrip us within the hour. "They'll cut us off in no time," I replied worriedly.

        "Where can we go?" Bilbo asked.

        "I'm not sure. I think Gandalf has a plan," I said.

        Bilbo shook his head. "Gandalf's plans don't -"

        The volume of Bilbo's voice was enough to alert him that something was going on. I spotted Azog and the White Warg sitting at the edge of the mountain and jumped as Azog's gaze turned toward the rocks we were hiding behind. "Shh!" I hissed at Bilbo.

        There was no way we could move or speak until Azog and the rest of his Orcs decided to take off. I figured that Azog had smelled at least one of the dwarves as he began growling again. He kicked the White Warg's sides and began heading back down the mountain. I let out a deep breath and rose but was quickly pulled back down onto my backside. I hit the rocks with a grunt and prepared to yell at Bilbo when I realized that he had spotted Beorn and was trying to not get me eaten. He was much larger than I was expecting.

        We watched Beorn with our backs against the rocks; the skin-changer was watching the Orc pack. He must have been upset that they were on his land. Beorn took the shape of a massive bear and even from here, I could feel my chest rumbling from his growling. We watched Beorn lean against the rocks on the edge of our side of the mountain for a moment before I took Bilbo's hand and started pulling him away before Beorn can realize we were watching him.

        We ran back to Gandalf and the dwarves with Beorn's deafening roar following us. We waited until we were back in the woods before speaking. "What was that?" Bilbo asked, terror in his voice.

        "I don't know, but I've got a feeling that the Orcs aren't our only problem," I groaned.

        Beorn may have warmed up to the dwarves once they stayed in his home, but he would hate us all for now. The two of us sprinted back down the rocky path toward where the dwarves were waiting for us. "Leah!" Kili yelled, running up to me. He must have noticed my wide-eyed stare. "Did you find anything?"

        "Uh, yeah, we found something," I muttered dumbly, pulling away from him.

        "How close is the pack?" Thorin asked.

        "Too close, couple of leagues, no more," Bilbo said. The two of us made the rest of the run up the walkway to where the rest of the dwarves had been waiting. "But that's not the worst of it."

        "Have the Orcs picked up our scent?" Dwalin asked worriedly.

        Bilbo shook his head. "Not yet, but they will. We have another problem."

        Unfortunately, no one wanted to listen to our secondary problem, which was about to become our primary problem. "Did they see you?" Gandalf asked. Bilbo and I both turned to face him. Gandalf's eyes widened with concern. "They saw you."

        Bilbo shook his head, still out of breath from our run. "No, that's not it," Bilbo said.

        "Good. What did I tell you? Quiet as a mouse and always quick on her feet," Gandalf said happily, pointing between Bilbo and me. The dwarves began talking among themselves, happily agreeing with the statement. I glanced at Bilbo and rolled my eyes. "Excellent burglar material."

        "Will you listen? Will you just listen?" Bilbo said, trying to break the chatter.

        "Shut up!" I shouted, loudly enough to silence the remaining chatter. "It'll hear us."

        "What will hear us?" Kili asked.

        "We're trying to tell you there is something else out there," Bilbo said.

        Bilbo was pointing toward where Beorn had been standing watch. I just caught Thorin roll his eyes out of the corner of my gaze. I was sure that he couldn't believe his luck. If it wasn't one thing putting us in danger, it was another. "What form did it take? Like a bear?" Gandalf asked knowingly.

        "Ye… Yes, but bigger," Bilbo said, stammering in surprise from Gandalf's supposed guess. "Much bigger."

        All of the dwarves whipped around to look at Gandalf. "You knew about this beast?" Bofur asked disbelievingly.

        Gandalf didn't reply but he did turn away to think for a moment. I could see the mistrusting looks in the company member's eyes. "Does it matter if he knew about the beast? We're here and we need to keep moving," I said determinedly.

        There was no need to be angry at Gandalf when we had two sets of enemies far too close for comfort. "I say we double back," Ori said, offering a solution.

        "We can't. We don't have time," I countered.

        "We'll be run down by a pack of Orcs," Thorin said, siding with me.

        It didn't take much longer than that for the rest of the company to begin arguing among themselves. "There is a house," Gandalf said loudly, turning back to us and interrupting the arguments. "It's not far from here, where we might take refuge."

        "Whose house? Are they friend or foe?" Thorin asked, leaning against the rocks.

        Thorin looked like he wanted to lay down and take a ten-year nap. "Neither. He will help us or he will kill us," Gandalf said.

        "What are the chances either way?" I asked, sensing that no one else would speak.

        "About even," Gandalf answered.

        "What choice do we have?" Thorin asked.

        As soon as the words were out of Thorin's mouth, we suddenly heard Beorn roaring nearby. The dwarves all ducked, afraid of how close our host was. "None," Gandalf said seriously.

        We all stared at each other for a moment before turning and darting off in a sudden sprint. All we could do was hope we made it to Beorn's house before he mowed us down. Or, before the rest of the Orc pack caught up. I was panting uncomfortably heavily as I ran at Kili's side. I briefly wished that I wasn't an MMA fighter. It increased my speed and flexibility in short-range but I had never been much of a sprinter. I supposed that I was going to be once my time in Middle-Earth was done.

        The company ran for what felt like hours, even though I was sure that it wasn't more than ten minutes. We headed out of the mountains and passed through a small creek, all of us slipping over the rocks. We didn't stop running, even with a few twisted ankles and trips and falls. As we passed the river, we headed into fields of open flowers and growing wheat. If I weren't so nervous that I would be mowed down by a giant bear, I would have loved the sight.

        Even though our large company was making a run for it away from the Carrock, it felt like we hadn't made a dent in the run. We were being led by Gandalf with the Orcs hot on our heels. As we sprinted through the field, our group began spreading out a bit. I was running with Kili and Fili at my sides. Kili motioned for me to keep my bow stored away as we ran. I knew that he was right. This was a flight moment, not fight. We needed to keep running until we were safe from both Beorn and the Orcs.

        My brief confidence at how fast we were moving turned to horror when I turned around and saw that the Orcs were now chasing us through the woods. I knew that there was now a good chance that we would be tripping over roots and nearly running into the trees. The Orcs entered the woods less than a minute after our company did. They had caught up much faster than I was expecting. Both of our companies stopped when we heard Beorn roaring close by. He was gaining on us, too.

        It sounded like Beorn was just over the ridge we were running down. Gandalf didn't let us remain still for more than a second. "This way! Quickly!" Gandalf shouted, motioning for us to follow him again.

        It didn't take more than a single warning for us to run again. Thorin yelled for Bombur to keep running and yanked him along by the beard as we sprinted through the woods again. Azog and his company of Orcs were growing far too close for comfort. I had seen them when we had turned back to look for Beorn. I knew that both of our enemies were gaining on us, no matter how hard we tried to put distance between ourselves and the Orcs. If only we had horses to at least keep the distance even.

        As we sprinted through the ends of the forest I tripped over roots and stumbled over small logs. I supposed the one positive of spending so much time running all over Middle-Earth was that at least I was getting a lot sturdier on my feet. We each jumped off the edge of a small cliff and continued running downhill as we came crashing out of the woods and sprinting through another small clearing. We were now within eyeshot of the entrance to Beorn's garden and home.

        "Into the house!" Gandalf shouted, turning back to see us all running behind him. "Run!"

        The problem now wasn't the Orc pack. We were far enough from the Orc pack that we would be able to outrun them. Our new problem was how close Beorn was. I could hear the trees in the distance all being toppled as Beorn came crashing through the forest to reach us before we could get to his house. Our company was sprinting in a relatively even lineup as we ran toward the house and I slowed down for just a moment to stare in amazement as Bombur ran past us.

        Though I wasn't the fastest runner in the world, I was a little stunned to see that someone so much heavier and shorter than me was outstripping my sprinting. I began pumping my legs even faster to try and keep up with the apparent fastest dwarf in the company. We ran through the doorway leading to the garden and past Gandalf just as Beorn roared again. I let out a deep, panting breath as we passed through the vine-covered brick fence and came within feet of the house.

        "Come on! Get inside!" Gandalf shouted.

        The wizard was still standing at the doorway as we rushed inside. We were running through the massive trees that lined the garden and past the large bumblebees toward the front door. As we sprinted to the house, we all turned back long enough to see Beorn come crashing through the woods after us. Bombur and Fili were the first to hit the door but they bounced off of it. Everyone tried to open the door of the house, but it was firmly locked. The rest of the company slammed me against the door as they fought to enter.

        They weren't trying to hurt me but I could barely breathe against their bodies. Gandalf rushed toward us as Beorn advanced through the opening and the rest of the company caught up. "Open the door!" Gandalf yelled.

        The panic in his voice wasn't at all comforting. "Quickly!" Thorin shouted, bringing up the rear.

        Thorin was shoving the company members away as he ran up to the front door. I was pulled out of the way by Kili as I was nearly crushed by the dwarves' eagerness to get into the house. It was as I slammed into Kili's stomach that I saw the problem. "The bolt!" I shouted over their chattering.

        Thorin must have noticed what I was talking about as he met eyes with me and nodded. Thorin rushed ahead as he pushed through the rest of the dwarves and nudged the bolt upward. The double doors sprang open a moment later as the company began stumbling into the home. Everyone rushed inside and pushed the weaker members of the company backward to ensure that the strongest members were able to slam the door shut on Beorn.

        As everyone rushed into the home, I was thrown backward from Kili so roughly that I almost went sprawling into the haystack. I didn't mind the manhandling for now. I knew we were all freaked out. I darted back up to the doors where I saw an opening and pushed against the door at Kili's side. Together we managed to close the first door with our weight. Just as we were about to close the other door, Beorn lunged his head through the door. Everyone gathered together to push the second door closed.

        "Push!" Kili yelled.

        "Come on, lads!" Dwalin added.

        Beorn's snout was halfway into the building as the dwarves began shoving him out of the doorway. Gandalf stepped back to watch us fight and Bilbo whipped out his sword to defend us, just in case. Once we had managed to push Beorn's snout out of the door, we lifted the bolt and shoved it into place, finally managing to lock Beorn out. Everyone stepped back as we were now safe and breathed out heavily. I leaned on Fili's shoulder, panting heavily as Kili turned to make sure I was okay.

        Ori turned to Gandalf as we all began calming down. "What is that?" Ori asked him breathlessly.

        "That is our host," Gandalf admitted.

        All of the dwarves turned back to stare at Gandalf in shock and confusion. Had I not known who or what Beorn was, I would have been shocked too. "Care to explain?" I prompted, knowing the others needed an explanation.

        "His name is Beorn, he's a skin-changer," Gandalf explained, not that it was much of an explanation. Beyond the thick wooden doors, I could still hear Beorn lurking around and growling. As Gandalf walked through the barn section of the house, heading toward tow large bulls, I began following him. So did everyone else. "Sometimes he's a huge black bear, sometimes he's a great strong man. The bear is unpredictable, but the man can be reasoned with. However, he is not overly fond of dwarves."

        Some of the dwarves had headed into the kitchen to look around. Others were still standing near Gandalf to listen to his explanation. "As for humans?" I asked worriedly.

        "He's slightly more fond of humans," Gandalf admitted.

        It was good enough for me. I would have much rather let them get chased around by the terrifying bear-man. I smiled happily as I playfully jabbed a finger into Fili's sternum. "Sucks to be you," I teased.

        "I don't have to run faster than Beorn. I just have to run faster than you," Fili pointed out.

        "Or, we can both run faster than your brother," I joked.

        "What was that?" Kili asked, turning to us.

        "Nothing!" Fili and I shouted together.

        Our innocent voices didn't stop the playful laughter that we aimed at Kili as Fili wrapped an arm over my shoulder. I smiled up at him. It felt a bit like I was hanging out with an older brother. If things went as I was hoping they would, I briefly wondered if he would be that to me one day. I quickly shook my head clear of that thought. We weren't there yet. Everyone looked up worriedly as Beorn continued growling and puffing outside. Ori pressed his ear against the door.

        "He's leaving," Ori said, looking back at the company.

        "Come away from there!" Dori snapped, pulling his younger brother away from the door. Once Dori was sure that Ori was safe, he turned back to Gandalf. "It's not natural, none of it. It's obvious, he's under some dark spell."

        "Don't be a fool. He's under no enchantment but his own," Gandalf shot back.

        "Gandalf?" I called, pulling the attention to me. "I hate your friends."

        The entire company, including Gandalf, laughed. I was glad to give a brief moment of levity. I walked over to one of the bulls and gently laid a hand on its snout, running my hands over its fur. Gandalf took off his hat as the company began spreading out. "Alright now, get some sleep all of you. You'll be safe here tonight," Gandalf said. He stopped long enough to look out at the rest of the house. "I hope."

        "Totally unnecessary, Gandalf," I snapped.

        The company laughed again as we began to move around Beorn's house to find a place to sleep for the afternoon and evening. Most of the company headed toward the barn. I decided to head in the other direction to have some space. I was still in the barn but closer to some bales of hay. I noticed that Kili stood near me as I began spreading my few things out. I didn't have much with me but I could sleep on some of my clean clothes and use my cloak as a makeshift blanket.

        Kili still didn't walk away as I dropped my weapons. Kili and I smiled at each other somewhat awkwardly as we shifted to try and find our spots in Beorn's house. I knew that we would all kind of end up spreading out along the floor, but I didn't know if I should just tempt fate and immediately go back to sleeping with Kili or not. I didn't know if I should have tried to mind my manners for the next few days or just go for it. I was thrilled that Kili was ultimately the first one to speak.

        "Where are you planning on sleeping?" Kili asked.

        "Is an offer coming my way?" I teased.

        The two of us smiled at each other for a moment as Kili took my hand and thread our fingers together. We had to be much more careful here since we didn't have the space we'd had at the river. "Stay with me. Please," Kili said quietly.

        "You don't have to ask me twice," I said honestly.

        Normally I would have never gone to sleep this early - unless I was coming back from an all-night bar crawl and an afterparty with my friends - but I could barely keep my eyes open. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, I realized how tired I was. It was only midway through the afternoon, but I was exhausted. The rest of the dwarves were too. Everyone was in their spots for bed within minutes. None of us had truly had a good night's sleep in at least five days.

        Kili and I smiled at each other as I slipped onto the hay-covered floor and curled up in the pile of my clothing I had left out. I sat upright for a moment and smiled at Kili, who slipped his overcoat off and tossed it into the corner. A few members of the company getting ready for bed near us sent vague smiles our way. I figured they enjoyed the tenseness being erased from our relationship. I grinned as Kili seated himself with me. He grabbed his cloak and threw it over my legs for some warmth.

        "Thanks. You didn't need to do that," I said.

        "Shall I take it back?" Kili asked playfully.

        Not a chance. It was always adorable when a guy gave a girl his jacket or coat to keep themselves warm. In response to Kili's teasing, I snagged his coat away from him. "No," I snapped. "Don't you know?"

        "Know what?" Kili asked curiously.

        "When you grow close with a woman, you lose your clothes," I explained. I smirked as Kili flushed with embarrassment. He was so easy to tease. "In more than one way."

        Once Kili had recovered from his embarrassment, he whispered, "Do you think there's a private room?"

        I smirked again. "Oh, I am rubbing off on you."

        "It's a good change," Kili said.

        We laughed at each other as I pulled Kili's coat onto myself and turned away from him. The two of us laughed at each other as Kili took my arm and yanked me back into him. I was still laughing quietly as I threw my leg over his lap to get as close to him as possible. Kili's arms wound tightly around me. For the first time in weeks, I was finally laying with someone she adored more than anything. This was where I was supposed to be. After a few moments, we met eyes and both smiled contentedly.

        "Back where you belong," Kili whispered, breaking the peaceful silence. I hummed from the comfort, smiling to myself. I turned back toward him, the mid-afternoon sun running over my face. Kili pushed my hair back comfortingly. "And as beautiful as I remember."

        "Flattery will get you everywhere," I teased.

        It took Kili a moment to compute what I had said. Kili leaned down to laugh in my shoulder when I noticed that the other dwarves were watching us. "Shut up!" the others shouted.

        Kili and I laughed at each other as I shoved his face away from mine. "Would you quit getting me in trouble?" I teased.

        We laughed again. "You started it!" Kili hissed.

        "So, finish it," I whispered back. Kili blushed again as I smiled at his embarrassment. I was having more fun messing with him than I had originally thought, and after everything I had gone through, I was going to keep messing with him. I did, however, press a loving kiss against his jawline. "Goodnight, Kili."

        "Goodnight, amrâl," Kili said.

        It was a word that seemed vaguely familiar in Khuzdul, but I couldn't recall what it meant. "What does that mean?" I asked curiously.

        Kili kissed me on top of my head. "Go to sleep."

        Though I had never said anything about it before, I had always liked it when someone kissed my forehead. It had always been a loving gesture in my eyes. I blushed slightly as I rested an arm low on Kili's stomach. I knew that Beorn would be here in the morning and I knew that I was going to meet the Mirkwood elves any day now - including Tauriel, who I was terrified to see face-to-face - but right now, getting to be with Kili was all I wanted to think about.